Working with recognised research institutes and utilising extensive practical experience from a series of building projects, WindowMaster has developed NV Advance®, an advanced system to control natural and hybrid ventilation.
Using an optimal control strategy, the system deals with parameters that include:
- Building location and lay out
- Building size
- Building function
- Wind speed and direction
- Window and facade design and consequential airflow through windows and facades
- Seasonal conditions
By monitoring indoor and outdoor temperatures, indoor humidity, CO2 levels, precipitation, wind speed and direction, NV Advance® automatically opens and closes windows to achieve the ideal indoor climate.
The system's ability to open/close each window to a precise pre-set position requires accurate measurement of airflow through each individual window given wind direction and speed. To achieve this, WindowMaster carries out a CFD calculation for every project. The building and its surroundings are modelled by an advanced software program, so that the airflow through the individual window openings can be calculated precisely based on the wind pressure coefficient (Cp value) for different wind directions.
Individual control of indoor climate
The basis for the development of the system is user comfort and the user's ability to control indoor climate. To achieve this the building is divided into different climate zones, which are individually controlled and monitored by the control system. This allows the user to set the indoor climate in a single room to match his or her preferences.
The NV Advance® system includes modules that control heating, sun blinds and mechanical fans. Contact WindowMaster for more information about NV Advance®.
A system overview
The illustrated building shows an example of how NV Advance® can benefit from all ventilation principles and integrate with the building‘s BMS in a complete solution. Ventilation principles: The illustration shows examples of single-sided ventilation, cross ventilation, stack-ventilation and mixed mode ventilation
- A weather station on the roof transmits data on outdoor conditions (such as temperature, rainfall, wind speed and direction), allowing the NV Advance® system to accurately control the positioning of the windows.
- Natural ventilation is also an option in rooms without windows to the outside. For example, as shown here, a windcatcher on the roof can be used to take in fresh air while letting out air that has been heated.
- In the high-ceilinged atrium, stack-ventilation occurs via automatically controlled openings in the facade, which let in the fresh air, and skylights that exhaust the rising hot air. In this area the NV Advance® system is used to control the comfort ventilation and is also combined with the smoke ventilation strategy, so a fire switch is therefore placed on the wall. On the wall there is also a climate display screen, where the users can monitor data on the internal and external conditions of the entire building or in individual zones.
- Automatic sun protection on the windows of the building acts as a safeguard against overheating in the summer and as extra insulation in the winter.
- With NV Advance®, heating control can be integrated using a motorized valve to control water flow in the radiators (in office rooms) or underfloor heating (in the atrium), temperature sensors and temperature control software, which together reduce heat loss during the winter.
- Cross ventilation should be used if there are windows on both sides of the room. Sensors on the wall measure temperature, CO2 levels and humidity, while an operating switch makes it possible for the user to control the windows and sunshades manually. A PIR detector is placed in the ceiling to detect movement and turn the lights on/off.
- In rooms where there are only windows on one side, one-sided ventilation should be used. An interior climate sensor and operating switch are attached to the wall, while a PIR detector is placed in the ceiling.depending on whether the room is in use.
- The building‘s control room houses all the controls hardware ; including a Server PC, system panel, MotorController and power supplies. A smoke ventilation panel is mounted on the wall for the atrium smoke ventilation system.
- In this room cross ventilation is used, where the heated air it directed out into the atrium before rising up and leaving the building via the skylights.
- For mixed mode ventilation control, the NV Advance® can be integrated seamlessly with mechanical ventilation solutions. Here we show a solution with mechanical extraction where a fan can be triggered to supplement the natural ventilation when required.
